Stargazers
by Helena Mira
Summary: Curiosity in a telescope leads to all kinds of stargazing among the Everetts.


_These are not my characters and I make no profit from borrowing them. This story is best understood if read after "Love Makes A Family."_

**Stargazers**

"What is this?" asked Trelawney curiously.

"That's Hal's telescope," replied Prudence earnestly. "And you better not touch it or he will get REALLY mad at you."

This was a rather unusual warning from a child who spent most of her waking moments trying to get into her older brothers' things. The two girls were hanging out alone in the boys' bedroom. Normally they wouldn't be there, but Butch was supposed to meet them to teach Trelawney how to play Monopoly so that she could help Prudence, who liked to play but always lost. Butch figured between one girl who didn't know how to play and another who was too young to really understand it, he was sure to beat them as a team.

"I've heard about these, but I've never seen one in real life. It looks fascinating." commented Trelawney. She was circling it, looking closely but not touching it. She had found out the hard way that Hal didn't like her messing with his stuff, especially if it was anything scientific. She had promised her sister Phoebe that she wouldn't get into any more scraps with him - at least for the time being.

Trelawney, who was about ten, was the younger sister of Phoebe Figalilly, who was the Nanny in the household of Professor Harold Everett. Following the tragic deaths of their parents, Trelawney had been brought by her older cousin Emmeline to fetch Phoebe to return to England where she could raise her at home.

At the time it had seemed to Trelawney to be a rather backward way of doing things. Why hadn't they just summoned Phoebe home? But Emmeline had wanted to deliver the news in person and besides, she had had one of those feelings that all Figalillys were famous for that this was the way that things should be done.

As usual, Emmeline's feelings were on target. Rather than allowing Nanny to leave, the Professor had invited Trelawney to live with the family in California. The two sons in the family, Hal and Butch, accepted Trelawney's presence as a necessity to keep Nanny with them. But little Prudence was delighted. She had always wanted a sister and Trelawney fit the bill nicely.

The two girls, despite a five year age difference, had taken to each other right away. They had more in common than blonde hair and winning smiles. They both loved fantasy and make believe. However from the first, they had developed a somewhat oppositional competitive dynamic with the boys. Hal and Trelawney were most frequently at odds. In addition to being the two oldest vying for leadership of the younger two, their worldviews were diametrically opposed.

Trelawney, like all the Figalillys, was keenly aware of how others thought and felt. She had a romantic view of the world, loving nature and appreciating art and music in a very sentimental way. Her imagination frequently ran wild with flights of fancy. Like her sister she talked to animals and derived a certain degree of pleasure by evading direct questions about her intuitions and refusing to accept science as the ultimate answer for everything.

Despite the fact that she got a mischievous pleasure out of teasing Hal, they saw eye to eye on one thing: Phoebe and the Professor, who despite their own opposing world views (or maybe because of it), seemed to be attracted to each other, although neither one knew (or admitted) it. While Trelawney had made a half-hearted promise not to interfere when pressed by Emmeline before she left, she was well aware that Hal could be cultivated as a future ally in the cause. Thus she was careful not to push him too far with her pranks. She was thinking this as the young man himself walked in.

"Don't touch that!" he immediately scolded. "What are you two doing in here anyway?"

"First of all I am not touching, I am looking," replied Trelawney spiritedly. "And in answer to your question, we are waiting for Butch."

"Well, you can wait in the hallway and stay away from my stuff!"

To Prudence's disappointment, Trelawney didn't rise to the occasion and start a debate, but meekly went out into the hall. She really was interested in the telescope and she that if she didn't kick up a fuss now, Hal would probably show it to her later if she asked nicely. There was nothing Hal liked more than to demonstrate his superior knowledge of something. Trelawney had already figured out how to get what she wanted without having to fight for it. A little bit of humility now was a price worth paying to satisfy her curiosity if she knew that Hal would give her a look at a later time.

Hal had a practical scientific mind like his father. He wanted rational explanations for everything. He had only just accepted Nanny's predilection for unexplainable when Trelawney had come along to throw him off kilter again. She shared her sister's almost mystical and generally impractical approach towards life. Although it had originally been his idea to combine the two families, he found himself frequently in conflict with the quick-witted, mischievous girl. She shared with her sister a unique ability with verbal gymnastics that meant that she could rhetorically challenge and defeat him in almost any argument. But what was a charming trait in Nanny was downright annoying in a younger girl who was always trying edge him out. While he didn't exactly regret suggesting that she come to live with them, there were times when he wondered if his motives hadn't clouded his better judgment.

From what little they had been able to discover about Nanny's background, it appeared that one of her strongest qualities was what she called her "wanderlust." She was a world traveler who had many lived many lives in m any different places among many different people. She had never stayed in one place for very long before she had come to live with the Everetts. However it had been obvious to Hal that she would have to give up her peripatetic existence for a while to care of her sister. So why not here?

He hadn't mentioned it at the time, but he viewed expanding the family to include Trelawney as a means of anchoring Nanny with his own family, at least until Trelawney grew old enough to go out on adventures of her own. In many ways Nanny reminded him of his own mother who had passed away a few years ago. Secretly he thought that his Dad felt the same way. After all, hadn't he told him shortly after Nanny arrived that at one time he had seen the world as Hal did? That was until his mother came along and since "she knew things that she shouldn't have known and could do things she shouldn't have been able to do" that he realized that there was more than a "scientific approach to life." He recalled his Dad's final words, "I accepted it because I wanted to." He wondered if he didn't accept Nanny's foibles because he wanted to as well.

Hal sometimes reflected on those words when the doorbell or the phone rang immediately after Nanny said, "I'll get it." In fact he had begun to think that when his father threw his hands in the air and looked skyward, it was more in amusement than consternation. The kids didn't think twice about it any more - why should he? And Dad had been very quick to agree to his solution to keep Nanny with them, even helping to persuade Nanny who was the only one with reservations. Taking a peek at the two girls standing out in the hall, he wondered if he hadn't been a little hard on Trelawney.

But before he could call them back, Butch came along. Loudly banging around the room, he pulled out the board game. Asserting his rights as the older brother again he chased his younger brother out and so the three went off to the girls' room to play. Butch was annoyed, but Trelawney soothed his feelings by saying that she was more interested in playing with him than squabbling with Hal.

"We can quarrel with Hal anytime," she declared loudly.

"Oh brother," mumbled Hal as he closed the door behind them.

Feeling better about himself because Trelawney had showed a clear preference for his company over Hal's, Butch followed the girls and willingly (although not without making a face) sat at the small white tea table and proceeded to expound upon the intricacies of Monopoly.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

At dinner that night, Trelawney brought up the subject of the telescope. Flattering Hal, she asked him to explain exactly how it worked. She had only read about them in books and she was very interested the real thing. Nanny and the Professor exchanged a knowing look as Hal took on his teacherly tone and began to explain about the lenses, mirrors and magnification used to give closer images of the stars and planets. Trelawney listened avidly, but Butch and Prudence were bored. They were a bit disappointed that she was encouraging his monologue with questions. And they had heard all this before from Hal.

After dinner Hal and Trelawney went upstairs where he showed her how to look through the telescope. She was fascinated by being able to see the moon and the stars so closely. Since it was a full moon she was amazed by the clarity of the craters and the Sea of Tranquility that were only vaguely apparent to the naked eye. Hal then turned the telescope so that she could see Mars and Saturn that were coming into full view.

"Wow! I never thought that I would ever see anything like this, except in books," she remarked.

"Don't people have telescopes in England?" asked Hal curiously. "Even my Dad had a telescope when he was a kid. He gave it to Butch, but he hardly ever uses it."

"Oh yes," answered Trelawney quickly. "But where I lived, out in the country I don't think that anyone ever felt like they needed a telescope. You can see the stars so much better than you can here in America."

"That's the light and ground pollution," Hal explained. "There are so many lights from the buildings and street lamps in the cities that the stars are less visible. And there is so much smog sometimes that the haze reflecting those lights really obscures the view. The telescope helps, but if you really want to see the stars you have to go out to a wilderness area."

"Really," Trelawney was thoughtful. "I suppose if you went somewhere like that then you could hear the music of the spheres also."

"The music of the what?" Hal had a feeling that she was about to start talking about one of her crazy ideas. And just when he had thought that maybe she wasn't so irritating after all.

"It is not a crazy idea," declared Trelawney who of course knew his thoughts before they came out of his mouth. "The ancient Chaldeans and the Greeks believe that the seven heavenly bodies moved in circles and made sounds that were equal to the musical scales. In fact they even believed that when a musician played, he was connecting with the music of the spheres in a sort of mystical way. And the scales are not random you know. Cultures with no previous contact with each other have come up with the same progressions of notes, even if they did transcribe them differently.

"That's nonsense!" said Hal, who never liked to be proved wrong. "Besides there are more than seven heavenly bodies as you call them."

"It is not nonsense, Hal Everett. Just because you don't know something, doesn't make it nonsense. It makes it something you don't know!" she cried back.

"The whole premise is ridiculous," Hal shot back. "It has no scientific basis."

At the sound of raised voices, Butch and Prudence came running into the room. One of their favorite forms of entertainment these days was watching Trelawney and Hal verbally duel. To their amusement, she frequently won. Nanny told them that it was disloyal to constantly root against their brother but they paid no mind. It was too much fun watching Hal be bested by the younger girl.

Nanny had also heard the disagreement walked in to see what was wrong now. Looking directly at her sister she asked, "What are you two fighting about now?"

"But we're not fighting Phoebe, honestly. I was just trying to tell Hal about the music of the spheres but he wouldn't even listen." said Trelawney earnestly.

Hal agreed, "Yeah Nanny, just because we get loud doesn't mean that we're fighting. Trelawney thinks that there are only seven heavenly bodies and they play different musical notes as they fly through the sky."

"Oh," commented Nanny thoughtfully. "Did you ask her to explain?"

"I don't need for her to explain. What she is saying is totally ridiculous."

"Well," said Nanny reasonably, "Before we start throwing around the insults, why don't we see what she has to say. Let's all of us sit down so that Trelawney can explain herself."

Giving Hal a look of triumph, Trelawney began to talk. "In the ancient world, the astrologers who looked at the sky could only see seven heavenly bodies: the sun, the moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The philosophers believed that each of these bodies rotated around the earth and each made a tonal sound equal to a note on the musical scale, which is also seven individual notes. The heavier the body and the lower its orbit, the deeper the tone. The higher and longer the orbit, the higher the tone.

"In school we read a writing by the Roman orator Cicero called the Dream of Scipio. In that dream, Scipio went up to the heavens where he could hear the music of the spheres for himself."

"Oh brother!" dismissed Hal. "You're trying to tell me that you're basing this theory on what a dead writer said over two thousand years ago. Where is the scientific proof?"

"Well Hal," interrupted Professor Everett. "What she's saying is really not as crazy as you might think."

The Professor had come upstairs at the sounds of arguing. He had already noticed that despite her overactive imagination, Trelawney had been very well educated in the humanities. She even knew more than some of his college students about history, literature and even philosophy. He was looking forward to seeing what the American public school system would make of her. Now, fascinated by what she had to say, he had chosen to stay by the door and listen to the short discourse.

"But Dad," said Hal. "We know that there are nine planets and the moon goes around the earth and that the planets, including the earth rotate around the sun."

"Well Hal," answered the Professor, "While modern science has rewritten many of the theories of the ancient people, if you think about it, they did work with what you might call a pre-scientific method. All of their ideas and hypotheses were based on what they could actually observe. In fact they were very careful to record the movements of the stars accurately and even used calculus to predict such things as comets. In fact they were the ones who invented geometry, algebra most other forms of higher mathematics."

"Predict comets? Like Dr. Lasko? asked Butch. Butch had spotted a comet by chance earlier that year. So impressed was he by the astronomer who came to see them after he had spotted the comet using mathematical progressions to predict his sighting that he had happily given up his claim when it was discovered that the professor had spotted it one second earlier.

"Somewhat Butch," agreed the Professor. "Only today computers and high powered telescopes make much more sophisticated predictions."

"What about the three wise men who came to visit Jesus in Bethlehem?" asked Prudence who didn't want to be left out. "In Sunday School, Teacher said that they predicted that the star would rise and if they followed it they would find a great king. She said that since the star had "a tail as big as a kite" that it was a comet."

Ever the skeptic, Hal snorted, "You don't learn astronomy in Sunday School."

Prudence looked downcast but Nanny said gently, "Who says that you can't learn anything about anything anywhere? Knowledge is knowledge."

"Well," said a very interested Trelawney, eager to get back to the original topic. "I still believe in the music of the spheres. If the night is very quiet you can hear the heavens singing."

"Oh brother," repeated Hal.

"Don't be too quick to dismiss what Trelawney is saying," replied the Professor. "There is a whole theory of physics that scientists have been working on for only about the last thirty years or so called "String Theory." It's still really in its infancy, but if proven it could lead to the discovery of a fourth or even fifth dimension. If you enter the field of quantum physics some day you could even find yourself researching it."

Trelawney was interested. "Do they think that the strings make sounds, like guitar or piano strings?"

"Some of them do and some of them don't," answered the Professor. "But so far no one has been able to prove that they don't."

"But no one has proven that they do either. I'll believe it when I see proof," declared Hal determined not to give in.

"Then you won't get very far in research," said the Professor with more than a hint of amusement. "Great scientific breakthroughs are made by skeptics, but only by those who are skeptical of things that everyone else thinks have been proven. Galileo was willing to be excommunicated by the church when his telescope proved that the sun, not the earth was the center of the universe. That was a pretty big deal back in those days. But if he hadn't challenged what was then viewed as both a scientific and theological truth it might have taken us a whole lot longer to get where we are today.

"Hal, with the help of computers, I believe that in thirty or forty years they may be rewriting the science textbooks because so many of our present theories have replaced by newer ones based new information. It's the dreamers of today who will take us there. Not those who were complacent about how things are."

"What is the real difference between philosophy and science anyway?" wondered Nanny aloud. " The word science is based on the Latin word "to know" so it is about knowledge. Philosophy comes from the Greek words for "wisdom" and "love." What is the real distinction between knowledge and wisdom?"

Her question hung in the air. Not for the first time the Professor marveled at her own knowledge and wisdom. Wherever she had come from, she was obviously highly educated. Her eyes had acquired that sort of dreamy quality that they always did when she was pondered something. Whenever she became lost in her own thoughts she looked quite beautiful.

Suddenly both adults noticed that Hal and Trelawney were observing them closely. Silent communication seemed to be passing between them as to some secret knowledge of their own that they both shared. The room was very quiet.

By this time Prudence and Butch were nearly asleep. Nanny brought them all back down to earth. "Bedtime for all you stargazers! The morning comes round early and so does the school bus."

"I wish I could go to school," said Trelawney wistfully.

"Can she go instead of me?" asked Butch who had sharply jumped to attention at the words "school bus."

"No," said Nanny and the Professor together. An observant Hal noticed the smile that passed between them. The irony of the Professor's conclusion about scientific skeptics and later revelations of how things actually were was not lost on him. Maybe his future as a romantic wasn't entirely a lost cause, not that he would ever let on to Trelawney.

But the Professor returned to his study downstairs while Nanny shooed the girls out to get ready for bed. Prudence was asleep almost before her head hit the pillow, but Trelawney was wide-awake. Everything that she had seen and heard had excited her. And not all of it was about the stars.

"Phoebe, can I stay up and read? I don't think I'll disturb Prudence," asked the girl. Looking over at nearly comatose little girl, Nanny agreed.

"I don't see why not. Don't stay up too late." After kissing her sister good night and tucking her in, she went into the boys' room. Butch was already sound asleep, but she could see Hal staring at the ceiling.

"Good night Hal," she whispered.

"Good night Nanny." Closing the door, she heaved great sigh. The days were long and managing the dynamic between the children was challenging. It was a pity that Hal and Trelawney couldn't see eye-to-eye more often. They were both very bright but neither liked to be proved wrong. If either was any less intelligent they probably wouldn't disagree so much. However if they were both older, they might actually have rational discussions rather than arguments. How to resolve the perspectives of a scientist and a romantic? Weary as she was, she missed the irony of her own observations about the children.

She sighed once again to herself and went into the backyard to do a little stargazing of her own. However the full moon made the sky so light that there weren't many stars visible. So she closed her eyes and believed that she could hear the music of the spheres herself. Losing herself in her contemplation of the heavens she found the inner peace that she had longed for throughout her busy day. Clearing her mind of all the nitter-natter of daily life in the constantly moving household she felt herself relax. Escape, even for this brief span of time was a welcome respite.

The Professor had finished his work for the night and was surprised to realize that Nanny was still up. Following a hunch, he looked out the backdoor to see the still figure in the moonlight. There was something about the moonlight that made him feel daring. They had so few opportunities to spend time alone and that time was usually spent discussing the children

But there had been a subtle change in their relationship since she had lost her parents. They had drawn closer as he sought to console her. There didn't seem to be anyone else. She had no close friends and after Emmeline had left, no family except Trelawney. She was so wrapped up in the children's lives that she never seemed to think of herself. Hoping that he wouldn't disturb her, he opened the door.

"Good evening Professor." She always seemed to be able to sense his presence before he made himself apparent. Tonight however, it didn't take any real powers of deduction to figure it was him.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." she answered. He sat beside her. She seemed to be listening intently.

"Listening to the music of the spheres?"

She turned to look at him quickly, and realizing that he wasn't teasing, smiled at him. "It's beautiful concert tonight."

It was at this moment that he wished that he had her imaginative powers so that he could share the moment with her.

"Oh but you can," she said reading his mind. "Clear your head of all thoughts and worries. Let go of everything. Close your eyes and become one with the cosmos."

Her voice was sweet and soothing. He did his best, but he was clearly not as practiced in this form of meditation as she was. His brain was too cluttered with scientific information about compositions of stars and planets, rates of velocity, measurements and all those other numbers that make up the modern knowledge of the universe. So he opened his eyes and took in the full visual experience of the night sky. Having the beauty of the late night sky as a focal point, he found it easier to put aside the mathematical abstractions that crowded his mind.

Despite her proximity he kept his breathing steady. In fact he found that if he matched her rate of breathing he could begin the relax and, as she had encouraged, let go. And so they sat side by side, each experiencing the heavens in his or her own way. He looked at her seated beside him. Her eyes were closed and her face was in such a peaceful repose that he could have sworn she was sleeping. But she was not. Realizing that he was looking at her she opened eyes and gazed back into his. Was there magic in the moonlight? He wasn't sure but he believed that he heard her soul calling to his. Fearful that she might see too much in his eyes, he drew her close and held her in his arms. She came willingly into his embrace and rested her head on his shoulder, face turned away. It seemed the most natural gesture in the world.

Phoebe felt his yearning within the depths of her soul. Likewise, she was afraid to look at him, for fear that he might see too much. Although there was much in her heart and mind she could conceal from him she suddenly didn't want to, although at the same time she did. It was a puzzlement, but like everything else she let go of it. She felt safe in his arms. She knew what he wanted and with all her heart she wanted it too. Unwittingly she found herself projecting her own desire. As he held her closer and stroked her hair she felt she was helpless to resist.

She had never felt this way before. She knew of the deepest relations between men and women but had never reached those depths herself. This was a place that her wanderlust had never ventured. What would happen if she ventured into this unknown land? She who never been afraid to travel to any strange place before was suddenly hesitating. She was afraid but she didn't even know why. Was it of his desire or her own?

Looking up at him she must have betrayed her fear. His eyes were filled with kindness and understanding. She saw in their depths a feeling that transcended physical passion. She knew that this was no ordinary man. He had let go of his logic and scientific reasoning, not to mention his physical desires, to explore the metaphysical boundaries if the universe with her. It was as if they were caught up within the motions of the stars and the music of the spheres. Their spirits soared together through the night.

Hal had read the fear in her eyes but knew instinctively that it was not of him. She seemed to be flying somewhere beyond the boundaries of planet earth. He would not constrain her with earthborn desires. She was free and he knew that the only way to become a part of her was to follow. Letting go of his physical being he set his mind on a course to the stars. He had not guessed that it would be like this. Then, as suddenly as the feeling had come upon him, it released him.

They were once again sitting in the backyard wrapped in each other's arms. Once again she turned her face from his and rested easily against his shoulder. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. No words were adequate to express the feelings she had stirred in him. She must have felt the same, because she was silent also. But her silence spoke volumes. Tonight they had shared the eternity of the stars and the infinity of space.

At some point they must let go of each other and return inside the house to the world of housework and schoolwork and children demanding their attention. But until then, nothing existed but themselves and the depths of space. As always, Phoebe knew his mind. If at one time the intensity of his feelings had frightened her, it no longer did. She knew instinctively that she could trust his better angels.

Together they had probed the boundaries of HER world, where time and space were mutable. She was deeply moved to discover that it was a place that he could not only reach, but where he belonged. It had welcomed him when he had taken the leap of faith necessary to enter it. She found herself as reluctant as he was to let go of the moment. It was as if forever had opened itself up to them and all they had to do was enter. It was too awesome to contemplate. So she let go of forever and returned to now. Like tomorrow, forever would take care of itself.

Meanwhile, a little girl was watching the man and woman in the backyard from her bedroom window and wishing on a star. Nearby, observing the scene from another window, a boy began to hope that his own dream might come: a family . . . forever.

11


End file.
